Day 1, Dec. 2, 2008 - Arriving in Puglia

Today I arrived in Puglia (aka Apulia). I have been invited on a FAM trip, which is a 'familiarization' trip for people in the Travel Industry. The goal of a FAM is to get professionals familiarized with a specific place in order provide us with the knowledge and know how to promote and sell it, thus increasing tourism. I have never been to this region before, the most south I've been is to the island of Sicily and I'm looking forward to experiencing all new types of sights, sounds and smells of the south. Oh and of course .... FOOD is a high priority!


To be more concise, I arrived in Bari, actually. I had to take 3 flights to get here – Newark to Frankfurt, Germany, Frankfurt to Milan and Milan to Bari. My first experience with connecting flights. I was apprehensive to even go on this trip when I saw the flight schedule because I’m used to flying direct into Rome or Florence, or Athens if you will. However, beggars can’t be choosers and this was a free trip. I decided that I was focusing on the small things and not the great experience I would have in this region that I would have never thought of visiting. So I sucked it up and decided to go.

Right now I am at our first hotel – the Tentua Cocevola in Andria.

I arrived in the dark but the property looks quite expansive and I will be sure to walk around the grounds tomorrow. I ended up getting here late. I had to wait for 5 other peoples’ planes to land for us all to be transferred to the hotel. So I sat on the bus for like 2 hours. Thank God I had my mp3 player!

I am quite exhausted! I didn’t sleep on the planes any. I was actually a little excited to by flying into Germany, though. I mean, I knew I wouldn’t have any time to go explore the city, but something about Frankfurt raised a magnetic pull inside of me. Plus, I was excited to try some German food in the airport! Once we arrived at the airport, it was a little uneventful, I spent some time wandering around and finding my gate. I was searching for somebody to take my work AMEX card so I could get something to eat, but only one place I went to accepted it and I ended up getting a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino for breakfast. So much for German cuisine.

The cool thing about the airport is they have Camel Smoking Booths throughout all the gates, so you can light up inside, if you feel the desire, without having to exit the airport and go back through the long, meandering security lines. That is totally awesome! God forbid you see something like that in America! Plus each gate has free coffee, tea, water and newspapers; another plus in my book.

So now that I am here, sitting in my room, I am feeling the jet lag/exhaustion/lack of sleep. It is 6pm, Italian time, which is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard American time, and we are supposed to have dinner at 8. I hope I can stay up!

The hotel is really nice, and huge. It’s like a villa. My room has 1 double bed and a twin bed. Pretty cool.


I’m so happy we don’t have to share rooms! My only gripe about the hotel is … there is no bar soap! I couldn’t wait to wash the airplane off of my face and I was super excited to see what types of toiletries I had in the bathroom, but to my disappointment – only shampoo/body wash. What the hell? I have to wash my face with body wash?! Screw it, I did it anyway. I’ll probably end up having a breakout. But everything could have been worse- some people ended up having FOUR flights - and they still aren’t here yet.

I want to sleep so badly but I know I have to stay up for dinner and to meet everybody.

First impressions of Bari – well, it’s hard to get an impression of anywhere from the airport because they are always so far away from the city center, but it seems very untouched and untainted by tourism, which is a good thing. The rolling, seemingly limitless green of nature that I saw on our ride to the hotel combined with the umbrella palm trees lining the highways were just lovely. We passed a lot of marble quarries along the way here.


And, as usual, the Italian sky is just marvelous! It is one of the things I miss most when I am not here. The sky in NY/NJ is just so pathetic and lackluster in comparison. It’s all grey and the clouds are mere shadows. In the Italian sky, they play around, dance with each other and take on wonderful shapes. They remind me of big puffy marshmallows that you could jump up and down on, and the sky is so blue! Ah, breathe in, I’m in Italy! And at the heel of the boot! Hello, Adriatic Sea!

Day 2, Dec. 3, 2008 - Andria & Martina Franca

I’m having such a great time! Dinner was pretty cool last night. For appetizers, we got to taste some Puglian specialities – burrata cheese (it’s like milky, stringy mozzarella and mm mm delicious), fried dough balls (fritelle), olives and bread. Yummy! I tried Prosecco for the first time – not too bad! A little bubbly, but definitely something I can drink. At the dinner table, I met this lady, L, who is really cool – she thinks like me. I took a seat at the end of the long dining table, because I was really too tired to socialize with everyone. She ended up sitting across from me. We sat there and listened to everyone else talking and kept throwing each other glances at the ridiculous behavior of some of our fellow tour mates. Judging by the characters I have seen so far, this is bound to be an interesting trip.

The Early Morning View from my hotel room

This morning I walked around the hotel grounds and they are so beautiful! There are green and black olive trees about and the grass is so green! Against the backdrop of the rich blue sky, it was breathtaking. You can also see the castle from here, rolling hills, vegetation, farms, such rich colors, like a water painting. I inhaled the fresh air deeply, wanting to hold a part of it inside me forever.

At breakfast today I had 2 double espressos with a teeny bit of milk (in Italian a ‘doppio macchiato') and then we loaded on the bus and were on our way to visit the Castel del Monte , built by Frederick II, in Andria. I’d never been to a castle before so I was a little excited.

It was very foggy and misty out which made for a really dreary and medieval setting for our walk up to the front door.

It looked kind of mirage like, if you will, and didn’t seem real until we were standing right in front of it.

It’s 540 meters high and in the shape of an octagon and has 8 octagonal towers. Its purpose and design are up for debate. Some think the shape of the octagon – circle and square, represents the relationship between man and God. Some think it was a hunting residence.

Going inside was a little uneventful, it wasn’t decorated or furnished or anything, but was still an experience worth noting.

After, we drove on to the downtown part of Andria. It was so cute, all of the locals were turning to stare at us on our little tour bus.

We walked to town hall to meet the mayor. He wasn’t there at the time so we met his representative who thanked us for coming and for promoting the region, and then we each got inaugurated as ambassadors of Puglia, complete with medals. (I'm not in this picture!)

We were being filmed the entire time as well. Guess we’ll be on Italian TV tonight!

I had the best and most filling lunch today! We drove out to the restaurant Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso.

Upon our arrival, the owner was waiting for us. Before lunch, he walked us out to his vegetable garden. He said that people come here and pick what they want to eat out of the garden and then he prepares dishes with it. How cool is that?! The garden was huge! We saw broccoli rabe, eggplant, chili peppers, rosemary, sage, oregano, squash, leeks, parsley, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and a whole bunch of other stuff. He even has a 1000 year old olive tree in the garden.

In the restaurant we had a 20 (maybe even more) course meal. Oh my goodness, we were so stuffed! We kept thinking it was over and then nope, more dishes would come out of the kitchen. Some of the best food (and wine) I’ve ever had. Everything was so fresh.

There were so many dishes, I can’t even remember what they were! I think I gained 5 lbs from that meal alone.

After lunch it was on to Masseria Chiancone Torricella in Martina Franca for a sight inspection. A masseria is like a farm house turned hotel/restaurant. They surprised us with a Falconry show.

There were 4 men in tights and medieval garb that were doing tricks with the falcons, symbols of victory, and vultures.

I saw the most beautiful owl in the world! It was part of their animal collection, but they didn’t do tricks with it. Its mere appearance was stunning! It just stared with these huge, glowing orange eyes.

It was pretty big too. I asked the guy if I could pet it and he said yes. When I went up to it, it started hissing at me, so I said “Are you sure?” He said, “Go ahead.” So I did. Once I started petting it, it stopped. That was definitely a highlight for me. To pet the animal that symbolizes wisdom. Such a gorgeous creature it is.

I got to catch a falcon on my arm too. That was awesome!

(Now I can say that I've touched wisdom (the owl) and caught victory (the falcon)! Mission Accomplished!)

Then we were entertained by two men dressed as knights who demonstrated a sword fight with techniques and moves from medieval times. I enjoyed that as well.

After the show, we went inside the masseria for a wine tasting, which was a little boring. The "wine snob" woman was showing us how to taste wine. Personally, I just drink it, I’m no expert nor do I intend to become one. We tried this regional Moscato wine. It was not good to me. It was thick like honey and just had the taste of stale urine with a hint of sweetness. Tasty! Turns out it’s used in many cake and sweets recipes. I’d probably enjoy it more baked into something than by the glass.

At night we went back to downtown Andria to go to a ‘fokloristic event.’ It turns out that this event was just for us!

They had a local band playing Puglian music and once again MAD FOOD! There were like 3 food tables – one for cheese, one for hot food and they even had a desert table with cookies and wine. Everything I tasted was delicious!

I got interviewed for a TV show. The lady was asking me what I thought of Puglia and if I liked the food. Um, look at this stomach - of course!!

I have a feeling that this trip is gonna do me in, as far as the weight department goes! But I am rationalizing it by saying that if I’m having a great time eating it, then there’s no harm, no foul. We also saw some women making orrechietti macaroni and a wood carver making picture frames that were so elegant.

I ate fresh mozzarella, more burrata cheese, vegetable patties, a big bread bowl filled with orrechietti pasta and pignoli cookies! They have this really delicious regional dish here composed of fava bean paste with chicory greens, which you put on top of the paste. It is so yummy! I have to try to make that at home.

I am so touched by the townspeople’s generosity and warmth! And needless to say - I’m in my glory here. I feel so fat!

Day 3, Dec. 4, 2008 - Andria & Trani

So apparently, I was on TV last night. Yep. Some people in the group saw my interview. How cool!! I can’t get a straight answer on what channel it’s on from anyone though. They said our inauguration ceremony was on and then the event from last night was on. I hope I can catch it!

The people at this hotel are very attentive. Whatever you ask for – coffee, hot water, wake up calls, etc. they give you – but still no bar soap! The hotel staff doesn’t speak English here and I’ve been a few of the tour members’ translators for getting them things here in the hotel. I don’t mind, it gives me a chance to practice. But I’ve been trying to figure out how to say bar soap in Italian! (um, ‘sapone duro’?? No clue)

Today we visited the Mario Mucci candy museum in Andria and the Olanda cheese factory.

The Candy Goddess - a frescoe on the store's ceiling

The candy museum was kind of boring for me, but we got to sample some stuff. What was cool was they had silver candy, which I’ve never seen before.

I didn’t buy any though, I want to save as much money as possible for Bari. J, and I were so totally bored at the candy museum, we decided to take a walk across the street to the outdoor market. There wasn’t much there – a vegetable vendor, fish vendor – holy squid – and a meat vendor.

Now I had heard from someone in the past that some parts of Puglia serve horse meat but I didn’t entirely believe it until I saw it here. Yep – there was a little plastic horse on top of the glass meat case, and sure enough, that’s what was inside. There was a bowl full of stomach (tripe) floating about in water on the floor next to my foot. Hopefully, none of these things will be on our menu!

The Olanda cheese factory was interesting.

Owned by the Olanda Family, naturally!

Elephant Shaped Cheese

Burrata Cheese

Fresh Mozzarella di Bufala Cheese

We saw the workers preparing and stretching the crap out of hot mozzarella cheese.

They showed us how they make burrata and cacciocavalo cheese as well. We had a tasting afterward which was, again, really good. I tried this “Ricotta Forte” which means “strong ricotta” and oh my! it actually burns your tongue, but tastes really good. I tried the yummy smoked mozzarella, more burrata – my new love, a mozzarella and prosciutto roll and provolone. I actually also had the best olive oil I’ve tasted so far, ever, in the cheese factory.

By this time outside it was drizzling and we left the cheese factory for the sea town of Trani, where we were to have lunch. Yes – we were to have lunch right after this tasting we had at the cheese factory – do you see a pattern here?! We keep eating back to back.

It was so windy and cold in Trani.

Oh, why didn’t I bring my gloves? Still a little cloudy as well. I hope we see some sun at least for one day! Trani is very pretty though, we walked to the port to get to the restaurant.

It reminded me of the port of Palermo, Sicily with all of the boats and stuff, and the sea was very pretty against the gold-tipped clouds from the sun hiding behind them.

The restaurant, Le Lampare Al Fortuno, was right at the edge of the port – and in a big stone building reminiscent of an old fort or something.

Inside it was so elegant and upscale, with the entire interior made out of stone as well.

Turns out the restauarant has only been open for a few days and we are the first people they have had for lunch. Our highly decorative meal consisted of all fish dishes. Now, we all know, fish is not my favorite thing, but I figure a) when in Rome and b) well I’m sure it’s totally fresh here, unlike home, and if I’m ever going to try it, I may as well try it here. Surprisingly, I found most of it to actually be pretty good!

We left the restaurant and walked around the town of Trani. I took some good shots of the sea – while they were inside paying the bill, I kind of wandered off by myself for a few minutes.

I wish I had more time by myself, but hopefully we will get that tomorrow in Alberobello. All these years of independent travel have spoiled me!

After the bill was paid, we walked to the Cathedral of Trani, by the sea.

Honestly, I’ve grown tired of churches and the like. I think I have also been spoiled by the churches in Rome, and not another anywhere else can compare. But, I'm seductively drawn in by the stunning backdrop of the golden stone church against the azure blue sky and sea. So, I captured some photos of this rather than what was inside.

Finally, when we were finished touring the church, we came back outside. By this time, the sky had turned this wonderful hue of pink, intertwined with the blue of it’s natural state. I ran up to the railing to catch a picture of it against the sea and then saw the castle of Trani. All of these wonderful colors combined and swirled together from nature’s amorous affair between sky and sea, and the majestic stance of the castle - I was absolutely spellbound by the entire setting. I went to take a picture of it and sure enough – my camera battery died. “No!!!” I cried. “Come on, just one picture, pleeeease!” I took out the battery and put it back in a few times. After the third time, it finally captured a picture of this inspiring poetic moment. Hooray!

Tonight was our farewell dinner at the Tenuta Cocevola. It was very nice, there was a piano player who was playing throughout the evening. I sat with my ‘East Coast’ friends again. We are becoming a little clique. We had a funny conversation at dinner about the bidet.

J said he never used it because he didn’t know how to or what it was for. I told him it can be used to wash your ‘parts’ after an intimate encounter and that I’ve used it to wash my feet once when I didn’t want to shower. I told him he should use it when he has that ‘not so fresh feeling.’ Then I explained that the main use was – pardoning my bluntness – for when you take a sloppy sh*t and need to clean your butt. He was laughing so hard and said he was now even more scared to use it! Haha Our crew always has such a blast!